Matthew Keyser Dental
Matthew Keyser, DDS:
Practice Profile Page

After a traumatic life change, I ended up with new (& crappy) insurance. I have always been fastidious with the care of my teeth. In fact, I’m just about finished with my Invisalign treatment (prior insurance paid). It came as a surprise that once my insurance changed, my previous dentist of many, many years, washed his hands of me & referred me to specialists for work he had promised to do. This is where Dr, Keyser comes in. It had been some time since my previous cleaning (see above) & found Dr. Keyser on Yelp. I’ve always trusted Yelp, & know which reviews to weed out. With that in mind, I made my first appointment. My insurance doesn’t pay for X-rays & I frankly don’t have the cash to pay for them right now. I just wanted a cleaning. Dr. Keyser was willing to allow the cleaning without X-rays. I’m not sure if this is common practice, but it was incredibly appreciated. He was also able to diagnose pain I had been having in one of my molars as a crack.  Something my previous dentist should’ve diagnosed 2 years ago. When I had decent insurance. This doesn’t begin to explain why I like this doctor so much. You see, the specialist that previous dentist referred me to, in turn referred me to another specialist (all cosmetic work). This is in addition to the cracked molar. Costs were piling up & I was beginning to panic. Dr Keyser sat me down, helped me set priorities, & basically knew I was dropped a bomb of information/costs in a single visit at the specialist’s visit. While I’m still confused as to how to move forward with everything costing so much, I am SO grateful that I found a doctor who cares about their patients & not solely on the cash that flows into their practice. I had a moment of disdain for the dental community, but Dr Keyser helped me put things into perspective & showed me there truly are good people/doctors out there.

I’m not sure it makes sense updating a 5 star review, but I really wanted to come back here and talk about my experience in 2017. I have been seeing Dr. Keyser since 2015 but it was for lighter procedures or routine checks. But in March and April of 2017, I went in for fillings (yes, fillings is not light procedure for me since it involves receiving an injection!). I must say, the part I was terrified of is behind me, a thing of the past! I was especially dreading the injections but Dr Keyser was a magician through the process… Light hands, a positive attitude and a smiling face went a long way in reassuring my fears and making the experience a winner… Dr. Keyser has my vote for as long as I live in the Bay area.

A dentist office that cares, wow. I thought the dentist I had before I moved was good and Dr. Keyser tops him. I had made an appointment about a month or two in advanced because I just needed the basic cleaning/examination. The office called the day before to remind me of my appointment and to request I call back to confirm. When I walked in the next day I was promptly helped by a staff member. I was told over the phone to come in about 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork since it was going to be my first time. No biggie, I always come in early. After paperwork I sat down with Jeremy, who asked about some medical history (there’s a reason, you’ll discover why). He then took some quick and painless x-rays and cleaned my teeth. The whole time he was teaching me all these things I never knew, such as how plaque forms, the proper brushing and flossing methods, etc. I think I’ll be taking Dental Hygiene 101 by Jeremy for a long time. He even recommended a special type of floss. After all that Dr. Keyser came in and did a quick check and signed me off for excellent teeth. Some people complain that you only see the actual dentist for 5-10 minutes, but that is how I’ve experienced it my whole life so I don’t see the issue. He and Jeremy were cracking a couple of jokes too. After that I got my next appointment set and issues with my insurance were cleared up. Good to go.

I’ve had a rough go of it, dentally. I’ve had just about every type of dental device there is – bionators, head gear, retainers, braces…TWICE (and one of those times was during senior pictures!!!). Yes, adolescence was tough. Throw some frizzy hair and some B.U.M Equipment into the mix and just IMAGINE my school pictures… Thanks to my last set of braces, I have permanent jaw damage and will have to wear a gigantic retainer, fully equipped with cranks and wires and yucky bite plates, each night for pretty much the rest of my life. Sexy, I know. Its creator,my childhood orthodontist, has since retired and nobody makes devices like it anymore. And of course, just my luck, this archaic, stupid, ugly piece of plastic has broken several times over the course of its existence. Consequently, I’ve had a SLEW of dentists “ooh” and “ah” and scratch their heads at it, and me, then back at it. And each time, I shrug my shoulders, roll my eyes and say “Yes, I’m a freakshow, I know…yada yada”. They pass it around the office and snicker and say “I’ve never seen ANYthing like THIS before”. THAT’S the worst thing I can hear after enduring years and years of crooked teeth, just itching to return to their previous form without said piece of plastic. “So, I guess you can’t fix it then, right?” Enter Dr. Keyser.  Yes, he scratched his head and studied the “thing” like it was a 300-million-year-old fossil. But that was it. He didn’t look at me like I just took a dog poo out of my pocket, like so many had in the past. He accepted my challenge with patience, professionalism…and, of course, a little humor. I’ve seen Dr. Keyser a total of 4 times this year, and each time I am more comfortable with him and his staff. He even said he would research other dentists who will be able to make a new “thing” for me when mine breaks…or “accidentally” gets thrown out a window. I can confidently recommend him to all my less challenged friends (Yeah, must be nice to JUST have cavities and crowns, HUH!), and I wouldn’t trust anyone else in the city with my teeth OR “the thing”. I can feel the emotional scars healing already. Thanks Dr. Keyser.

today was my first appointment and was not that extensive but i was very impressed. i’d cracked a tooth about 9 months ago and had a another dentist put a temp filling in it. i got distracted and never went back to get it properly fixed. yesterday, while eating a gummi bear, i remembered that i needed to get the temporary filling taken care of when it cracked off into the gummi in my mouth. of COURSE, i went to yelp, posted a thread and some suggestions came back. i called yesterday at 5 pm, they squeezed me in today at 11. he patched me up well enough to go on a biz trip that i’m leaving on tomorrow. he was friendly, put me at ease, worked confidently and didn’t try to ‘upsell’ me to a whole new head (i hate that. get to know me first). very impressive. i think he’ll win the brian b dental sweepstakes.

Probably my only complaint is that it takes about 6 months to get an appointment for a cleaning.  But that’s akin to complaining because Gary Danko can’t give you a last-minute reservation. I went here because (1) it’s very convenient to work, (2) they will take my insurance, and (3) another guy in my office goes there and highly recommended him.  I wasn’t disappointed.  I was in the chair right about on time, the hygienist was pleasant and only stabbed me in the gums about 4 or 5 times. Dr. Keyser deserves extra credit because he didn’t immediately start drooling when he surveyed my mouth.  See, I’ve led an…interesting life.  And most of the mileage has gone straight to my face.  And a lot of that has gone directly to the mouth.  And teeth.  Early teenaged motorcycle accident?  3 broken teeth.  All in front.  And while my family wasn’t exactly broke, “cosmetic dentistry” was out of the question.  The teeth were capped, and we all moved on.  Hey, I wasn’t pretty in the first place. Softball to the face 3 years ago?  2 broken teeth, 2 more dead teeth, 5 root canals.  And a partridge in a pear tree. I know I need to fix some of this stuff.  And, to Dr. Keyser’s credit, when I started talking to him about what we might do, he was decent enough not to start cackling like an evil viscount who has lured another unsuspecting victim to his lair.  I have visions of porcelain crowns and veneers dancing through my head.  I foresee putting future generations of Keysers through college. And all because, to steal a line from Jack Dempsey, “I forgot to duck.”

I’m totally obsessed with my dental hygienist – not in a creepy facebook stalking show up at your house unannounced with flowers and muffins, single white female kind of way, but rather the much more acceptable – I could gaze longingly into your impossibly deep pools of azure since that’s all I can see while in the prone position as you hover over me wielding sharp pick-like objects and clad in a surgical mask kinda way. Ok, on second thought – that is certifiably creepy and has nothing to do with a bonified review . I don’t want to make it seem like Dr. Keyser is chopped liver or anything – he’s amazing. Its so refreshing to be able to experience this level of dental care in a relaxing, pleasant, and convenient downtown location. Plus, if you are a golfer you are in for a special treat. This man is in the know about all the best courses in the greater U.S of A! Let’s just say I am obsessed with my oral hygiene and Dr. Keyser and his staff have helped me keep my chompers in pristine condition for over 2 years. A++ (p.s – Jeremy if you are reading this – call me…just kidding…cuz that would just make our bi-annual meetings awkward right?)

Best Dentist EVAR.  And best Hygienist (Jeremy) EVAR. I absolutely LOVE and am grateful that Dr. Keyser WILL NOT try to sell you unnecessary treatments.  I have referred my husband to Dr. Keyser after learning that his old dentist told him to by a $600+ nightguard when he told them that he was concerned that his gums were receding a bit.  Night guard for receding gums.  Really.  Their reasoning was that some people clench and grind at night and that cuts blood circulation to the teeth/gums, causing the gums to recede.   I was totally not convinced, as I am often awake at night when my husband sleeps and he is NOT a teeth grinder.  I had him go to Dr. Keyser for a second opinion, and just as I thought, he told him that a night guard was totally not necessary.  He said that many dentists try to sell their patients night guards because it is easy money to make.  Go figure. So, with his honest opinion, he gained my husband’s business as well and my husband has been going to Dr. Keyser ever since.  I have also recommended Dr. Keyser to his co-worker as well. Oh and talk about good… his hygienist, Jeremy will rewrite your book on what a teeth cleaning appointment is supposed to be like.  His teeth cleaning is like MMA for your teeth.  He will get every little gunk off of your teeth and your teeth will feel so clean afterward you almost feel like you can breath better.   Unfortunately, I cannot quite say the same thing with their female hygienist though… she is still good, but not kick-ass like Jeremy.  I am always crossing fingers that I will get Jeremy for my next teeth cleaning appointment : )

Two years later and I’m still enjoying great service at Dr. Keyser’s office. Still highly recommended. I can’t say enough good things about my experiences with Dr. Keyser and his staff. Everyone is professional, upbeat and friendly. The quality of the dental work is superb, and when I faced two different options in treatment, Dr. Keyser pointed toward a less expensive alternative and I have no regrets with the results. I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to dental work, and I feel like I’m well cared for at Dr. Keyser’s.  Finally, like other reviewers here, I found Dr. Keyser very friendly to the pocketbook and accommodating when I had a problem with my insurance. Absolutely first rate. Wish I could give him six stars.

Ha, perusing these reviews is hilarious.  I guess I should have figured that I’m not the *only* person Jeremy has convinced to order a particular kind of floss online, but it’s funny nonetheless to see other people remark on this particular passion of his. Also, based on the comments left by many women, I’m starting to wonder if dentists and hygienists are the new firemen. It’s a weird component of aging to find yourself roughly the same age as your dentist.  But it’s also pretty awesome — I can actually have chats with Jeremy and Matthew that aren’t patronizing.  They do a great job and I honestly don’t dread my dentist appointments any longer.